How I got to Regent:
Before coming to Regent, I worked as a physician in a public hospital in Singapore. My husband and I came because we felt that a formal theological education would better equip us for serving in our local church as a church members. We were also open to the possibility of serving as missionaries. We became students together; while my concentration was Old Testament, his was Spiritual Theology.
Life after Regent:
During our time at Regent, we sensed a call to further studies and a possible career change. After graduating, we moved to Toronto for me to begin a PhD in Old Testament at Wycliffe College. By God’s providence, Hua-Soo got a job that required us to move back to Vancouver after three years of living in Toronto. He now works with a non-profit organization that does fundraising for seminaries and theological education in non-Western countries.
Most important Regent lesson:
During my time at Regent, I learned to think more theologically about identity and vocation. Before coming here, my identity was completely tied up with my professional identity as a doctor, particularly with work performance and capabilities.
During the second year of my doctoral studies, I was diagnosed with cancer. The illness and its aftermath has severely impeded my progress through my PhD program. What I learned about God, faith, and vocation has been crucial to my ability to journey well through this stormy period.
How Regent made a difference:
1) Studying at Regent deepened my love for Scripture. The combination of biblical studies classes—particularly biblical languages, exegesis, and hermeneutics—and interdisciplinary courses such as Christian Thought and Culture taught me both how to read Scripture better and how to correlate it with the complexities of my life. On the one hand, I came to better understand the central theological loci that are foundational to my faith. On the other hand, I learned to allow for ambiguity in more complex issues rather than pushing for overly-neat resolutions to problems.
2) My devotional life has been greatly enriched by trying out different spiritual practices. This took place not only in courses, but also through participation in aspects of Regent community life such as mid-day prayer and Anglican morning prayer.
3) I’ve become better at creation care. Before I came to Regent, caring for the environment seemed to be the right thing to do, but now I have a Christian basis for doing so.
Favourite Regent class:
The most precious class I took was Advanced Biblical Hebrew with David Clemens.
The goodness of electives:
I am grateful for all the courses I took that were not required for my concentration in Old Testament. These “extras” in spiritual theology, literature, and systematic theology have made my experience as a biblical scholar-in-training so much richer. Furthermore, the things I learned and the ways they’ve been integrated with my work in Old Testament have helped me better cope with the testing that many of us experience in our Christian journeys.
Favourite Regent memories:
Meals hosted by Regent professors at their homes. I am grateful for friendships formed with faculty and their spouses, which have been deepened through their hospitality and generosity.
I also have fond memories of hikes during Regent orientations. In our first year, we were led up Dog Mountain. It was such a meaningful way to get to know fellow students, as well as the outdoors in Vancouver. In subsequent years, we frequently led such hikes for new students. One year we led a group up the Grouse Grind, and then up the Chief at Squamish just a day or two later. Our explanation to the new students was that it might help with jet lag by keeping them awake during the daytime.
One time, a group of us Regent students and spouses did the Polar Bear Swim at English Bay on New Year’s Day!
Only Regent people…
…know which post offices stay open late so they can mail in their assignments at the last possible time.
Regent in three words:
1) Life-changing
2) Precious
3) Formative
Favourite things about Vancouver:
Bird-watching at Reifel Bird Sanctuary and trail running in Pacific Spirit Park.
Aspect of my life that would have surprised me as a Regent student:
That I would become an OT PhD student.
Fun facts:
1) I took summer intensive Greek for fun, and absolutely loved the experience.
2) I rode a motorcycle in Singapore and will likely resume doing so when we return.
3) I didn’t learn Chinese until first grade.
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